Plant-associated fungi support bacterial resilience following water limitation.

Drought disrupts soil microbial activity and many biogeochemical processes. Although plant-associated fungi can support plant performance and nutrient cycling during drought, their effects on nearby drought-exposed soil microbial communities are not well resolved. We used HO quantitative stable isotope probing (qSIP) and 16S rRNA gene profiling to investigate bacterial community dynamics following water limitation in the hyphospheres of two distinct fungal lineages (Rhizophagus irregularis and Serendipita bescii) grown with the bioenergy model grass Panicum hallii.

Fungi Modulate the Switchgrass Root Transcriptome to Circumvent Host Defenses and Establish a Symbiotic Relationship.

The fungal family Serendipitaceae encompasses root-associated lineages with endophytic, ericoid, orchid, and ectomycorrhizal lifestyles. Switchgrass is an important bioenergy crop for cellulosic ethanol production owing to high biomass production on marginal soils otherwise unfit for food crop cultivation. The aim of this study was to investigate the host plant responses to spp.

Microbe to Microbiome: A Paradigm Shift in the Application of Microorganisms for Sustainable Agriculture.

Light, water and healthy soil are three essential natural resources required for agricultural productivity. Industrialization of agriculture has resulted in intensification of cropping practices using enormous amounts of chemical pesticides and fertilizers that damage these natural resources. Therefore, there is a need to embrace agriculture practices that do not depend on greater use of fertilizers and water to meet the growing demand of global food requirements.

Serendipita bescii promotes winter wheat growth and modulates the host root transcriptome under phosphorus and nitrogen starvation.

Serendipita vermifera ssp. bescii, hereafter referred to as S. bescii, is a root-associated fungus that promotes plant growth in both its native switchgrass host and a variety of monocots and dicots.

Scavenging organic nitrogen and remodelling lipid metabolism are key survival strategies adopted by the endophytic fungi, Serendipita vermifera and Serendipita bescii to alleviate nitrogen and phosphorous starvation in vitro.

Serendipitaceae represents a diverse fungal group in the Basidiomycota that includes endophytes and lineages that repeatedly evolved ericoid, orchid and ectomycorrhizal lifestyle. Plants rely upon both nitrogen and phosphorous, for essential growth processes, and are often provided by mycorrhizal fungi. In this study, we investigated the cellular proteome of Serendipita vermifera MAFF305830 and closely related Serendipita vermifera subsp.

Non-targeted Colonization by the Endomycorrhizal Fungus, , in Three Weeds Typically Co-occurring with Switchgrass.

(=; isolate MAFF305830) is a mycorrhizal fungus originally isolated from the roots of an Australian orchid that we have previously shown to be beneficial in enhancing biomass yield and drought tolerance in switchgrass, an important bioenergy crop for cellulosic ethanol production in the United States. However, almost nothing is known about how this root-associated fungus proliferates and grows through the soil matrix. Such information is critical to evaluate the possibility of non-target effects, such as unintended spread to weedy plants growing near a colonized switchgrass plant in a field environment.

Rhizosphere Sampling Protocols for Microbiome (16S/18S/ITS rRNA) Library Preparation and Enrichment for the Isolation of Drought Tolerance-Promoting Microbes.

Natural plant microbiomes are abundant and have a remarkably robust composition, both as epiphytes on the plant surface and as endophytes within plant tissues. Microbes in the former "habitat" face limited nutrients and harsh environmental conditions, while those in the latter likely lead a more sheltered existence. The most populous and diverse of these microbiomes are associated with the zone around the plant roots, commonly referred to as the rhizosphere.

Toward a Resilient, Functional Microbiome: Drought Tolerance-Alleviating Microbes for Sustainable Agriculture.

In recent years, the utilization of novel sequencing techniques opened a new field of research into plant microbiota and was used to explore a wide diversity of microorganisms both inside and outside of plant host tissues, i.e., the endosphere and rhizosphere, respectively.

Sebacina vermifera: a unique root symbiont with vast agronomic potential.

The Sebacinales belong to a taxonomically, ecologically, and physiologically diverse group of fungi in the Basidiomycota. While historically recognized as orchid mycorrhizae, recent DNA studies have brought to light both their pandemic distribution and the broad spectrum of mycorrhizal types they form. Indeed, ecological studies using molecular-based methods of detection have found Sebacinales fungi in field specimens of bryophytes (moss), pteridophytes (fern) and all families of herbaceous angiosperms (flowering plants) from temperate, subtropical and tropical regions.

Genome-wide detection of condition-sensitive alternative splicing in Arabidopsis roots.

Iron (Fe) deficiency is a world-wide nutritional disorder in both plants and humans, resulting from its restricted bioavailability for plants and, subsequently, low Fe concentration in edible plant parts. Plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to alleviate Fe deficiency, with the aim of recalibrating metabolic fluxes and maintaining cellular Fe homeostasis. To analyze condition-sensitive changes in precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) splicing pattern, we mapped the transcriptome of Fe-deficient and Fe-sufficient Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) roots using the RNA sequencing technology and a newly developed software toolbox, the Read Analysis & Comparison Kit in Java (RACKJ).

Pseudomonas putida KT2440 response to nickel or cobalt induced stress by quantitative proteomics.

Nickel and cobalt are obligate nutrients for the gammaproteobacteria but when present at high concentrations they display toxic effects. These two metals are present in the environment, their origin being either from natural sources or from industrial use. In this study, the effect of inhibitory concentrations of Ni or Co was assessed on the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440 using a proteomic approach.

Correlation between organic acid exudation and metal uptake by ectomycorrhizal fungi grown on pond ash in vitro.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of coal ash on organic acid exudation and subsequent metal uptake by ectomycorrhizal fungi. Four isolates of ectomycorrhizal fungi namely, Pisolithus tinctorius (EM-1293 and EM-1299), Scleroderma verucosum (EM-1283) and Scleroderma cepa (EM-1233) were grown on pond ash moistened with Modified Melin-Norkans medium in vitro. Exudation of formic acid, malic acid and succinic acid by these fungi were detected by HPLC.

Development of molecular markers of ectomycorrhizal fungi based on ITS region.

Four heavy-metal-tolerant isolates of ectomycorrhizal fungi namely Laccaria fraterna (Cooke & Massee) Pegler (EM-1083) and Pisolithus tinctorius (Mich. Ex Pers) Coker & Couch (EM-1290, EM-1293 and EM-1299) were selected on the basis of the previously performed experiments. DNA extraction and purification was done by following standard protocols.

Effect of coal ash on growth and metal uptake by some selected ectomycorrhizal fungi in vitro.

Six isolates of ectomycorrhizal fungi namely, Laccaria fraterna (EM-1083), Pisolithus tinctorius (EM-1081), Pisolithus tinctorius (EM-1290), Pisolithus tinctorius (EM-1293), Scleroderma verucosum (EM-1283), and Scleroderma cepa (EM-1233), were grown on three variants of coal ash, namely electrostatically precipitated (ESP) ash, pond ash, and bottom ash moistened with Modified Melin-Norkans (MMN) medium in vitro The colony diameter reflected the growth of the isolates on the coal ash. Metal accumulation in the mycelia was assayed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Six metals, namely aluminum, cadmium, chromium, iron, lead, and nickel, were selected on the basis of their abundance in coal ash and toxicity potential for the present work.

Prediction of delayed renal allograft function using an artificial neural network.

Background: Delayed graft function (DGF) is one of the most important complications in the post-transplant period, having an adverse effect on both the immediate and long-term graft survival. In this study, an artificial neural network was used to predict the occurrence of DGF and compared with traditional logistical regression models for prediction of DGF.

Methods: A total of 304 cadaveric renal transplants performed at the Jewish Hospital, Louisville were included in the study.